Santuario italiano
by Moon Knightress
Summary: They're starting a chapter on the streets of famous Italian cities, and Bruce is slowly making a heart's choice of asking her to marry him. When he has finally grasped the moment of unveiling his deepest confession and unexpected storm comes their way, only Bruce can be her anchor as she enters deep water.


**Santuario italiano**

* * *

Everything was perfect. The temperature in the city of Verona was brisk as the tarnished sunset faded into the ashen clouds. The atmosphere was blissfully romantic as the scent of coffee beans roasting blanketed through their hotel suite. It had been three interesting months since they left their flat in Florence, the Renaissance city in the heart of Tuscany. They arrived late the evening before. He sense there was a change happening between them as they awoke in the afternoon sunlight outlining over their naked forms and unlocked from their tight embrace.

He watched her gracefully arose, wrapping his cashmere robe around her slender body as she leaned against the door frame, arching her back as curly ringlets tumbled over her bare freckled shoulders and her descend over her firm thighs as she curved her red lips into a content smile.

As he blinked a second, she had slipped into the bathroom. leaving the door ajar as an invitation to invade her space. He quickly, pulled the sheets off his bare form, stretched his stiffen joints and casually strode barefoot to the bathroom. He founded, leaning against the sink, splashing water over her creamed-colored skin, she dabbed the towel on her cheeks and caught his reflection in the mirror.

He walked up behind her, enclosed his arms around her curves , pulling her back against his graven chest. Selina rested her head against his shoulder as they both look at their reflections in the oval shaped mirror. He kept his still gaze steady on her reflection. She was beautiful for any eyes to gaze. Soft and flowing dark hair that captured the glows of sunlight as it draped over her flawless skin revealing the faint indents around her full lips as she smiled. He found that every time he looked at her in the sunlight she had grown more beautiful and full of radiance that was indescribable for a mortal heart to confess. He needed no words to speak the words written over his pounding heart. He needed no poems, diamonds or chocolate to grasp her love. All those things were just symbols for affection.

Selina turned her head to grasp the visage of him in the mirror. She absorbed her gaze at the healthy glow beamed for his face, during those moments of silence, he unbearably gorgeous as ever, sculpted muscles that gleamed over his trim body as scars became visible to the rays of light. His dark chocolate hair was slicked back and over the tips of his ear and the length touching the nape of his broad freckled neck. The indented scar underneath his left eye. He showed no signs of aging, in fact since they have together on this new journey, he seemed to grown more youthful looking as he's cut-stone features were starting to grow thicker because of the indulgences of happiness.

She pulled herself away, just to get a closer look of his enriched marquise shaped hazel-green eyes that dazzled like piercing gemstones as he stared down at her with a tenderness trapped into his irises.

He knew every detail about her, the amount of freckles clustered under her big brown eyes, the indents at the tips of her red tear drop shape lips and the layers of freckles on her shoulders. Every time his eyes became entranced into darkness of her prominent brown eyes he saw something become unraveled as she opened herself to him. No matter how much pain entered through his body, whether physical or emotional he just had to look at her youthful smile and grasp the assurance that everything was going to be alright. Inside, he wanted to tell her the truth that has been etched on his mending heart since the moment he saw her in the East drawing room of Wayne Manor. He loved her. His love wasn't something that most man held within their mortality. He loved her not because she was the beautiful masterpiece molded in the shadows of the streets of Gotham or the strong woman hold that carried herself with feline grace. No. She was more than those things, more than he could ever imagine as he stared into the depths and saw a promise whirling inside her soul._  
_

A collection of words flowed through his thoughts.

_Soul mate. Companion. Shield. My love.  
_

He found himself trapped into the moment with her, and then he dropped his warm lips over the groves of her neck, feeling the soft vibrations of her steady pulse as he pressed smooth kisses along her freckled skin, tasting the salty flavor of her as he become a captive to her beauty, locking his arms around her waist and enfolding his heart against hers.

There were moments when he could take off her masks into the novelty of black and white. Moments were he could see the true woman underneath the layers and take mental photographs. Every moment they shared, she allowed him to be genuine, and real. She stripped off his mask and saw the true man underneath. Not the fierce Dark Knight that would brood on the rooftops, all the playboy prince that crashed his sports cars through traffic lights and bought hotels. He allowed her to see the real man underneath the masks, the sincere, caring and loving Bruce Wayne that only so few people could behold.

_Alfred was sitting across from him sipping a steamy cup of coffee as silence lingered around them. They had just finished a lengthy chat that contained forgiveness from the words that seared both of theirs souls during that darkening hour near the stairwell in Wayne Manor. They lifted each others spirits and mended old wounds with stories of the past and the small moments they shared inside the cave and the underground chamber. As they reached the one of their afternoon conversation, Bruce pulled out his wallet and placed a couple of Euros beside his coffee cup, as there was question that still prompted into the old man's heart. One that he was sure he already known the answer, but had to ask to hear the truth.  
_

_He settled his cup down, and swallowed the warm liquid dripping down his throat, as he looked at his young charge and asked, "Master Wayne?"_

_Bruce looked at his surrogate father with sincere hazel eyes, "Yes, Alfred?"_

_"Do you love this woman?" he asked with a gleam trapped into his winter blue eyes. " Pardon me for asking such a bold question to you, sir."  
_

_Bruce halted in his breath. He narrowed his eyes slight down at the half-empty up of coffee. The same mixture of color of Selina's eyes. He lifted his eyes and looked deeply into into the wrinkled face of his longtime friend. A tiny glimmer of hope flared into his eyes as he curved his lips into a tiny smile. He was hesitant to admit the answer, loud and truthful but he knew it was something that needed to be said between them.  
_

_"Alfred, I've been in love with her since the first time she stole from me," his breath was shaky, but soft. "Yes. I do love her. But it's easy to tell you this but I can't tell her. If I do she might run and not ask me to chase after her." He lowered his head.  
_

_Alfred expressed a gentle smile. "She might decided to run or she might decided to stay. But know this there's not a woman in this world that sees you for who you are inside, Master Wayne. Now you might think it's a old man's perception to this truth. I know for a fact that she is something worth living for, sir." He pulled out a small box from his trench coat's pocket and placed it in front of Bruce.  
_

_"What's this?" Bruce questioned, furrowing his brow._

_"Something I've been holding on to for the right time." Alfred replied, with a cheeky smile.  
_

_Bruce opened the box and stared at the diamond ring placed over a red fabric. "Alfred," he was breathless. "This was my mother's engagement ring. I thought it was destroyed in the fire."  
_

_"No." Alfred shook his head. "It wasn't. I took the liberally of keeping it safe all these years. After you're parents died I took the ring along with the pearls and kept this treasure close by until the right time came when you would place this ring on a woman's finger."_

_Bruce looked down at the ring, "Do you think, Selina is that woman, Alfred?" he clasped his lips. "I'm sure she's ready for this commitment."  
_

_"I think you'll when is the right time to ask her, Master Wayne." Alfred said, pulling out his chair. "Now, if you excuse me I'm late for my afternoon stroll by the river." He grabbed his umbrella and walked over to Bruce, placing his reassuring hand on the young man's broad shoulder. "All it takes is the will to act. That's something you once told me in that awful of yours."  
_

_Bruce shook his head and smiled. "After all these years. You still haven't given up on me, Alfred?"_

_"Never, Master Wayne." Alfred replied, heading to the door. "I expect you and Miss Kyle will be leaving Florence soon?" _

_"We're heading to Verona. I'll let you when we arrive." _

_Alfred nodded. "Very good, Master Wayne. I will see you and Miss Kyle soon." _

_"Alfred," Bruce called out, placing the ring box into his jacket's pocket._

_Alfred turned around, "Yes, Master Wayne?"_

_"Do you really think she's the one?"_

_"Without a doubt, Master Wayne." the older man replied." You better take good care of Miss Kyle. I have ways of finding out if you haven't."_

_Bruce chuckled lightly before saying, "Don't worry, Alfred. I will."_

His soft eyes fell upon her once more when she blinked her curled lashes and looked into the melting swirls of coffee infused within her eyes. He moved his hands over the curves of her hips as she pressed her firm breasts against his smooth chest. His lips started to bruise kisses along her neck, sucking over the freckles as a satisfied moan pierced from her full lips. Nothing could compare to their passion they shared during the hours of daylight, twilight and night. They were connected to each other like darkness was to light.

"Selina," his hot breath buffed against her skin. Before she could respond she felt her feet lift from the floor was his strong embrace coiled around her as he back them into the hallway, securing her body against his as he felt his back smack the wall with a thud and hoisted her into the air, his firm hands gripping her lips as he lifted his head and stared lovingly at her bare waxen flesh gleaming in the sunlight. Both of their eyes met with unspoken confessions held into the depths of coffee and hazel. When he lifted his head to capture the fullness of her accentuated bottom lip she stared down at him with a promise written inside the chasms of her eyes.

He grinned and brushed the curls back as her arms enclosed over his shoulders. "Selina," his breath was soft against her lips. "Do you want to stay in Italy or go someplace else? It's your choice."

She didn't respond at first, she just kept looking into his eyes and then lifted her head up as she kissed the fading scar on brow. "I'm in no rush." she finally spoke, straddling her legs around his waist. "There's so much we need to explore, together." She felt the hardness of him push against her as she unsealed herself in those moments and rested her cheek on his shoulder as her hair cascaded over the blades of his back.

She pulled away as feeling the her lips tingle for his warm caress and then she closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of him as he claimed her lips with watery kiss. He held onto her, not letting her go as he slowly entered her feeling a full combustion of pleasure.


End file.
